Hey all you iPhone users heading to SXSW this week: good luck Twittering, texting and making phone calls. The annual SXSW geekfest has been well underway and already reports for iPhone reception is dismal. This is likely the first year thousands of iPhone users have descended on Austin and AT&T is unprepared. A recent update says the company is adding capacity but it may be a good idea to buddy up with a friend on a different network just in case.
Rock and roll hoochie coo! Man, my musical stars were aligned last week. There’ve been so many good shows and so many more to come with SXSW merely days away, I think my head’s going to explode. Dan Auerbach‘s show at San Francisco’s Bimbos last Friday was just another display of rock-n-roll awesomeness.
Better known as half of The Black Keys, Auerbach’s solo endeavor is more of the same swampy, blues-tinged rock but, dare I say, even bigger and more dynamic. Whereas The Black Keys have that stripped down two-man band vibe, Dan has a 5 piece band supporting him (mostly comprised of musicians from the project he produced, Hacienda): two drummers, keyboardist/organist, rhythm guitar and bass player. Wow! I lost my socks somewhere at Bimbos.
If you’re going to SXSW and don’t have Dan Auerbach on your agenda, you’re a bona fide fool. Pencil it in and make sure you pick up his new album, Keep it Hid.
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SXSW – The Parish | Austin, Texas | ||
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SXSW – Bill’s Place | Austin, Texas | ||
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SXSW – The Mean Eyed Cat | Austin, Texas |
Listen to “I Want Some More”:
I thoroughly enjoyed what felt like a TSOOL (The Soundtrack of Our Lives) private concert last night at The Independent. These guys know how to rock and have the attitude to match the music. Clad in satin red ‘The Who’ jackets and hippie tunics, they put on quite a performance with their guitar jams and theatrics.
TSOOL is one of my favorite rock bands from the 90s that have endured the test of time. The seasoned rockers are touring in support of their new double album, Communion, and wrapping up the limited US leg tonight in LA before heading back to Europe – where they are well know and adored.
Listen to: ‘Babel On’
Listen to: “Oh oh oh oh oh oh”:
I’m in full on training mode for SXSW. Last night’s Say Hi show was my third this week and I’ve got two more to go. And that’s still not going to hold a candle to what’s in store for me in Austin. But it’s definitely getting me in the right frame of mind.
As I mentioned last week, I’m in love with Say Hi’s latest effort Oohs & Aahs. Eric Elbogen is basically the band, so it was interesting to see how his laptop rock concoctions would translate live. And it sounded great! They kicked off their tour last night in San Francisco and played the new album in it’s entirety before launching into the old stuff. A truly enjoyable singalong show. If you’re going to SXSW, I highly recommend catching them at one of their following scheduled performances:
March 19, 1PM: Room 710 (SXSW Day Party Show)
March 20, 6PM: Home Slice Pizza (SXSW Day Party Show)
March 21, 1PM: SXSW Daystage
March 22, 8PM: The Parish (Barsuk & Merge SXSW Showcase)
My man Jack White announced the formation of a new band, The Dead Weather, this week. The supergroup features Alison Mosshart, of the London-based The Kills as lead singer; Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age on guitar; and Jack Lawrence, from the Raconteurs, on bass. The renowned guitarist, Jack White, plays drums. Go figure.
Their debut album Horehound will be released in June. The single “Hang You From the Heavens” is available now on iTunes.
Rock and roll! I’m liking everything about these guys right now – from their vintage sound to their vintage attire. Their latest release Ain’t No Surprise is a current favorite. Here’s a track off the album, “Mean Ol’ Train”, from their Tuesday night show at Bottom of the Hill.
Artist: Papercuts
Album: You Can Have What You Want
File Under: Lo-Fi Indie Pop
Recommended if You Like: Beach House, Grizzly Bear, Vetiver
Featured Tracks: “Future Primitive”
Really? I can have what I want? I thought the saying was you can’t always get what you want. But if the former is the case, I’ll take a walk in closet please. And $10 million dollars. Yep, I think that’ll do.
I guess that’s the difference between me and Jason Quever, the mastermind behind San Francisco’s Papercuts. I grew up middle class bourgeois; he was raised on a commune in Humboldt County, orphaned, then wandered the West Coast before calling San Francisco home. Knowing that will give you some insight into his music. Jason is an analog guy living in a digital world – using vintage organs and 4 track tapes to create that hazy, lo-fi, dream-pop sound of a bygone era. “Future Primitive” is an apt description. Headphone heaven is the end result.
The new video for Bishop Allen‘s “Dimmer” off their Grrr album released this week. Sounds like this album is going to be a Judah favorite! They’ll be making the rounds at SXSW and recommend them live. Their Broken Strings tour was one of my surprise favorite live performances of 2008!
Bishop Allen SXSW Schedule:
Get this album free via eMusic’s 50 Free MP3 Promo
Check out the zombie thriller video to the new Handsome Furs track, “I’m Confused” from their new album that dropped this week, Face Control. Unfortunately, their tour won’t be bringing them to the West coast but for those of you SXSW bound, you can catch them there!
Johannesburg-based BLK JKS played a rawkin’ show last night at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco. And from the looks of the lightly attended crowd, you guys didn’t know what you were missing. Their music is a wild concoction of transcendental African rhythms, Zulu soul and scorching rock and roll. And they like to jam. They are all completely self taught musicians and it was fascinating to watch them perform. I was struck by way they handled and played their instruments. It was definitely different. There was an air of reverence that translated into this feeling of the instruments playing them versus they playing the instruments. That or they worked some really good voodoo magic on me last night.
The band’s Mystery EP is out today on Secretly Canadian. If you’re heading to SXSW, you can check them out for yourself at one of the following shows:
Wednesday, March 18 11:00am
ME Television Studios (KEXP event)
Wednesday, March 18 10:00pm
Paradise Café (401 E. 6th St)
Thursday, March 19 2:00pm
The Parish (NPR event) (214 E. 6th St)
Thursday, March 19 10:30pm
Mohawk Patio (912 Red River St)
Listen to: “Lakeside”
Get this album free via eMusic’s 50 Free MP3 Promo
the OCMD 